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One of the best ways to get qualified staff members for your restaurant or food service company is to turn to a hospitality staffing agency. Unfortunately, not all staffing agencies do as much for their clients and it can be hard to tell the good companies apart from the bad ones. Considering the impact that a clumsy waiter, a bad organizer, or a sub-par chef could have on your company’s reputation, it’s imperative that you hire only the best! Here’s what to look for when choosing a hospitality staffing agency for your business: 1. Experience working with your type of business – Every kitchen and front-of-the-house is unique (that’s the best part of the industry!), and not all staffing agencies are familiar with the needs of every setup. For example, a company that routinely places candidates in traditional restaurants or hotels may have little experience finding the right person for the job with a university food service contractor. Kitchen environments can be as diverse as country clubs, catering outfits, museum cafes, hotels, restaurants, and corporate cafeterias. Choose a hospitality staffing agency that has experience working with your type of operation. 2. Broad pool of candidate backgrounds and skill sets – This should seem obvious, but it’s something that cannot be emphasized enough. Just because a company claims to find candidates for hospitality jobs does not mean it has a large pool of them available. Many generic staffing agencies will simply bill themselves as offering restaurant staff members as well, but that doesn’t mean they’ve courted many people with the right experience. What’s more, there are many diverse skill sets needed to run or work in a hospitality setting, from kitchen managers and sous chefs to banquet coordinators, wait staff, bartenders and support staff like bussers and barbacks. Focus on industry-specific agencies that have a diverse array of hospitality candidates with the exact backgrounds you need. 3. Assistance with screening and interviewing – The best hospitality staffing agencies not only connect you with candidates, but can pre-screen them using your criterion and even conduct a first round of interviews for you. This saves you time and money on your search. 4. Timely & Accurate Invoicing – Different restaurant staffing agencies use many varying fee structures but, in general, we believe you should only pay for results. You’ll want to know that your staffing agency is working for you and that they are incentivized to provide only the best candidates possible, all of whom meet and exceed your standards. Always be sure that payroll, taxes, workman’s compensation and fully-bonded insurance are included with your all-inclusive fee. This helps you keep your peace of mind and ensures a healthy bottom line. What else do you look for in a restaurant staffing agency? If you are looking for the right employees for your restaurant, catering company, or other food industry business, contact us at Acrobat Outsourcing today!